Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 4-17-24

Vol. 21 No. 8 • April 17, 2024 

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STAR PARKER 

Americans are not 

seeking out middle ground 

A Wall Street Journal opinion piece by 

Sen. Mitt Romney regarding the demise 

of the No Labels political party initiative 

tells us as much about Romney, and why he 

failed to ever become a national leader, as 

it does about the failure of the No Labels 

effort. 

No Labels defined its mission “to support 

centrism and bipartisanship.” 

Romney defines this effort as seeking out 

the “sensible middle voices” in American 

politics. 

My view is that No Labels failed because 

of its very incorrect assumption that what 

Americans seek is a so-called middle 

ground, or even that a middle ground exists, 

on issues that most trouble the nation today. 

No Labels was wrong in its assessment 

of what the nation wants and needs, and 

Romney is wrong. 

Former President Richard Nixon once 

observed that many make the mistake of 

thinking that conflict is the result of misunderstanding 

rather than difference of belief. 

When America split and descended into 

civil war in the 1850s and 1860s, it was not 

because of the failure of sensible middle 

voices to emerge. 

It was because there were many in the 

country who believed that slavery was not 

only okay but desirable. It was because 

some believed that Black Africans who 

were enslaved were not even human beings. 

Where is the middle ground, the “sensible 

middle voices,” on slavery? 

Slavery was not about misunderstanding 

or lack of communication. It was about conflict 

between very different sets of beliefs. 

This is what is happening in our country 

today. 

Over the years, the country has become 

increasingly polarized, with very different 

views about what is true and not true and 

even what the country is about. 

In the most recent Gallup polling on patriotism, 

only 39% say they are “extremely 

proud” to be an American. Only 67% say 

that are “extremely/very proud” to be an 

American. 

Twenty years ago, 90% said they were 

“extremely/very proud” to be an American. 

On issues of great concern to and impact 

on the country, opinions are deeply divided. 

Gallup reports that the divide between 

Republicans and Democrats on how much 

power the federal government should have 

has increased by 50 points over the last 20 

years. 

The divide between Republicans and 

Democrats on the nature and cause of global 

warming has increased by 33 points, on satisfaction 

with K-12 education has increased 

by 30 points, on whether abortion should be 

legal under any circumstances by 30 points, 

on the importance of foreign trade by 29 

points, and about immigration by 29 points. 

Where is the “sensible middle” on these 

issues? The answer is there is none. 

The different points of view emerge from 

very different views of the world, very different 

views of what is or is not true. 

The great struggle in our nation today is 

about whether the founders’ vision of a free 

nation under God, with limited power of 

the national government, will be restored 

and harnessed to today’s challenges. Or if 

we will continue in the direction of secular 

humanism, Godlessness and socialism. 

Abraham Lincoln captured today’s reality, 

as neither No Labels nor Mitt Romney 

could do. 

Lincoln said in 1858: “A house divided 

against itself cannot stand. I believe this 

government cannot endure, permanently 

half slave and half free. I do not expect the 

Union to be dissolved – I do not expect the 

house to fall – but I do expect it will cease 

to be divided. It will become all one thing, 

or all the other. 

There is a reason why Donald Trump 

came out of nowhere in 2016 to win the 

presidency, running on the theme “Make 

America Great Again.” 

The struggle today is between those who 

want to recapture our founding values and 

principles. And those who want to destroy 

them. 

The House will not fall. We will become 

all one thing, or all the other. 

• • • 

Star Parker is president of the Center for 

Urban Renewal and Education and host of 

the weekly television show “Cure America 

with Star Parker.” To find out more about 

Star Parker and read features by other 

Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, 

visit the Creators Syndicate website at 

www.creators.com. 

© 2024 Creators.com 

Read more on midriversnewsmagazine.com 

April 17, 2024 

MID RIVERS NEWSMAGAZINE 

I OPINION I 3 

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6 I OPINION I 



@MIDRIVERS_NEWS 


EDITORIAL 

Need asylum? There’s an app for that 

Two brothers in their late teens, Daniel 

and Richard Moncada, spent six months 

traveling to the U.S. border from their 

native Venezuela, according to the Wall 

Street Journal. When they arrived, they 

loaded up CPB One, a custom app that the 

federal government wants immigrants to 

use to legally gain entrance to the U.S. The 

soonest the app could schedule a meeting 

for the brothers was in three months, so 

they rolled the dice and crossed the border 

illegally. 

The Moncada brothers intend to seek 

asylum in this country. Asylum is legal 

protection for people who are threatened 

by persecution in their native country. 

At least that is what it is supposed to be. 

Today, it is a loophole undoubtedly being 

exploited by a large number of economic 

migrants. Economic migrants are seeking 

opportunity, not fleeing from persecution. 

In 2023, some 920,000 migrants and/ 

or migrant families filed for asylum. A 

decade earlier, that number was just 

76,000. The system – from courts, to Customs 

and Border Patrol, to cities trying 

to help – is completely overwhelmed. 

Again, just a decade ago, four out of five 

attempted border crossings ended with 

the person being repatriated back to their 

home country. In 2019, per the Department 

of Homeland Security (DHS), it was 

just under one out of three. 

DHS says it can handle around 50,000 

asylum cases per year. Last year, just 

from the CPB One app and other legal 

avenues of asylum-seekers, DHS 

received more than 430,000 requests. An 

additional nearly half million requests 

come from migrants caught entering 

the country illegally. Overall, there is a 

backlog of more than 1 million asylum 

claims in this country. 

Most people in this country want 

increased border security along with some 

path to citizenship for undocumented 

immigrants. That is the sensible solution. 

Politicians claim they want to solve this 

problem, but when a bipartisan bill was 

offered earlier this year it was quickly 

struck down. During Donald Trump’s 

tenure as president, he offered citizenship 

to so-called “Dreamers” in exchange for 

building the border wall. No dice there 

either. Politicians want to campaign on 

the issue more than they want to solve it. 

We need immigrants, by the way. We 

need smart ones and strong ones, creative 

ones and hardworking ones. We aren’t 

just a nation of immigrants; we are an 

economy of immigrants. If the system 

completely breaks, so does our financial 

well-being. 

This is a complicated, global problem. 

Europe is seeing even more asylum 

requests than the U.S. 

War in Ukraine, civil unrest in Syria 

and brutalist governments in Venezuela, 

Nicaragua and Cuba all exacerbate the 

problem. Ironically, the more the U.S. 

tries to isolate from the world, the more 

the world is showing up at our doorstep 

and demanding entrance. 

When President Joe Biden was campaigning 

in 2019, he stated that we could 

“absorb” 2 million asylum seekers “easily,” 

and that he would declare a 100-day 

moratorium on deportations. Those were 

asinine suggestions. So too is current candidate 

Donald Trump’s repeated promise 

of mass deportations based on the Dwight 

Eisenhower model from the 1950s. 

Immigration is a complicated problem. 

We need serious leaders – not cellphone 

apps and empty political promises – to 

solve it. 

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8 I NEWS I 





Photographer Lou Countryman’s photos of the lunar eclipse on Monday, April 8. Check out galleries of local 

events and professional sports action at midriversnewsmagazine.com. 

NEWS 

BRIEFS 

ST. PETERS 

Earth Month events, 

seedling giveaway 

The city of St. Peters has several events 

occurring in the latter half of April to commemorate 

Earth Month, as alderman Nick 

Trupiano (Ward 4) reminded residents at 

the March 28 Board of Aldermen work 

session. 

Whether residents are nature lovers or 

just seeking to form healthy habits, Trupiano 

said, “there are a lot of April ecoholidays.” 

The first week of April was dedicated 

to preventing food waste through various 

practices, from cooking up leftovers to 

compositing and better food portioning. 

Along with other events, the annual 

Clean Streams initiative will take place on 

Saturday, Apr. 20. Volunteers can register 

to help pick up trash at various stream 

locations, and those who meet at 370 

Lakeside Park that morning at 8 a.m. will 

receive free snacks. A free lunch will be 

served later in the day for volunteers. 

St. Peters is also giving away free tree 

seedlings for Arbor Day. From 9-11 a.m. 

on Saturday, April 27, free Ohio Buckeye 

and Redbud seedlings will be handed out 

on a first-come/first-serve basis, with no 

resident card necessary. 

St. Peters prides itself on being a “tree 

city” having been a member of Tree City 

USA since 1999. 

O’FALLON 

City selects firm for major 

intersection project 

Long-suffering auto and truck drivers 

navigating the overloaded intersection 

of Bryan Road and West Terra Lane now 

have relief on the horizon. Realignment 

of the West Terra Lane intersection 

with north Bryan Road is important 

for reducing congestion and improving 

safety, because it is not even 50 yards 

north of the Bryan Road intersection 

with I-70. 

At its March 28 meeting, the O’Fallon 

City Council voted 9-0 to authorize an 

$865,691.03 supplemental agreement 

with Horner & Shifrin Inc. for additional 

services needed on the West Terra Lane 

Realignment Project. Council member Jeff 

Kuehn (Ward 4) was absent/excused. 

This agreement includes “engineering 

design, public engagement and right-ofway 

services needed for obtaining the 

necessary right-of-way and preparing documents 

that will allow the city to advertise 

for and secure competitive bids for construction.” 

O’Fallon has received an 80% funding 

reimbursement for the design of this project 

from the St. Charles County Road Board, 

and the city plans to submit applications 

for additional federal and county funding to 

support the right-of-way and construction 

portions of this realignment project. 

Funds for the design portion of this project 

were included in the city’s 2023 budget 

and will be rolled into the 2024 budget to 

cover this supplemental agreement. Funds 

originally included in the 2023 budget will 

cover the full cost of this supplemental 

agreement. 

ST. CHARLES COUNTY 

Police request creation of 

“police recruit” full-time position 

Captain Curtis Sullivan of the St. Charles 

County Police Department has asked the 

County Council to approve creation of 

a new, full-time position titled “police 

recruit.” 

In a memo to the council, Curtis said, 

“Competition for the most qualified and 

skilled police candidates is extremely 

challenging. Currently, nearly all the 

law enforcement agencies in St. Charles 

County have a formalized sponsorship 

program. The absence of such program 

at St. Charles County Police Department 

puts the agency at a severe disadvantage. 

Implementing this program will facilitate 

additional recruiting opportunities that are 

presently unattainable.” 

He said a sponsorship program for the 

county police department will provide 

increased exposure for developing police 

officer candidates and to immerse them in 

the police department‘s culture. 

“Identifying and developing candidates 

that are the right ‘fit’ for a police officer 

position with St. Charles County Police 

Department,” Curtis said, “is a crucial 

component to productive, safe and invested 

employees.” 

Curtis said the creation of this position 

will give the police department the greatest 

opportunity to continue to employ the best 

and brightest law enforcement officers in 

the region. 

Police recruit positions would be offered 

to selected individuals as determined by 

the chief of police and confirmed by the 

human resources department. 

These positions would be compensated 

in the C3 paygrade, annual salary of 

$46,700, to be codified by departmental 

policy. (Current starting salary for police 

officer positions is $64,135.56.) The 

recruit position would additionally include 

expenses paid to the police academy, currently 

identified as $9,000 per recruit. 

Curtis said the police recruit positions 

would only be filled when vacant police 

officer positions exist, and would “underfill 

the police officer position until the 

employee completes the required course of 

study with the police academy, graduates, 

and on-boards as a police officer. 

At its April 8 meeting, the County Council 

introduced Bill No. 5291, that would 

authorize establishment of the police 

recruit position and sponsorship program. 

If typical process and timing are followed, 

the bill will receive a vote for passage at 

the next meeting on April 29. 

New indoor climbing equipment 

approved for Kinetic Park 

At its April 8 meeting, the St. Charles 

County Council unanimously approved 

a consent agenda item awarding a $354, 

321.71 contract to Eldorado Climbing of 

Louisville, Colorado, to install an indoor 

climbing and obstacle course system at 

Kinetic Park. 

Eldorado will construct an indoor 

obstacle/climbing course in the existing 

building at Kinetic Park. This will enable 

expanded revenue opportunities in addition 

to being a feature not found elsewhere 

in St. Charles County. 

The Eldorado Climbing structure 

includes obstacles and challenges for children 

of all ages. It will have a progression 

of difficulty. 

Although the project was advertised to 

the public in 2023 and three rock wall and 

ninja course design firms were directly sent 

the request for proposal twice, only one 

firm was responsive, Eldorado Climbing. 

This cost was included as part of the 

Parks Capital Plan and is in the 2024 

county budget. 

County to use microsurfacing 

treatment on asphalt roads 


County Council unanimously approved 

a consent agenda item awarding a 

$1,025,478.68 contract to Missouri Petroleum 

Products Co. LLC to apply a “micro-





I NEWS I 9 

surfacing” treatment to approximately 23 

miles of county-owned asphalt roadway 

and 1.5 miles of asphalt roadway in the 

city of Weldon Spring, 

Funding for this was approved in the 

county’s 2024 annual budget. Missouri 

Petroleum Products Company LLC is 

located on Woodson Road in St. Louis. 

Microsurfacing is typically applied at 

thicknesses between 1/4″ and to 3/8″ but 

can be applied up to a maximum of one inch. 

Traffic can resume on the new surface in as 

little as an hour, but conditions vary. 

The advantages include lower cost than 

other options, quicker application, materials 

easy to find. Because it is a soft, pliable 

product, it also will continue smoothing 

out the road even more over the following 

weeks, months and years. 

The disadvantages include that it 

requires hot weather to set, so it cannot 

be applied during cold weather or at night. 

Also, because it is soft and pliable, only 

a thin layer can be applied, not a thicker 

layer or multiple layers. 

Four basic options are available for 

improving deteriorated asphalt roadways, 

in decreasing order of cost: 

• Remove and replace, where existing 

asphalt is removed down to the aggregate 

base and is replaced with new asphalt 

layers. Durability can be up to 15 years. 

• Mill and overlay, where a milling 

machine is used to remove two or more 

inches of the existing pavement surface, 

and then the milled surface is overlaid 

with a new asphalt layer. Durability can be 

10-15 years. 

• Asphalt pavement overlay, where 1.5- 

2.5 inches of new asphalt pavement is 

placed over the existing pavement. Durability 

can be up to 12 years. 

• Microsurfacing, where a cold mix slurry 

is made at the paving site by mixing aggregate 

(very small, crushed rock), a mineral 

filler such as cement, water, and a polymermodified 

asphalt emulsion. Durability can 

be up to six years. 

New boat dock approved 

for Klondike Park 

Ryan Graham, St. Charles County director 

of parks, had requested approval of 

an intergovernmental agreement between 

the county and the St. Charles County 

Port Authority, to enable improvements to 

Klondike Park. At its April 8 meeting, the 

County Council voted 7-0 to approve a bill 

to authorize the agreement. 

The Missouri Highway and Transportation 

Commission (MHTC) is authorized to 

make grants for capital improvements and 

grants for the federal American Rescue 

Plan Act of 2021 (ARPA) to port authorities. 

MHTC and the Port Authority have 

entered into an agreement for a grant for 

capital improvements for Klondike Park, 

“including dock construction and installation 

of certain utility infrastructure.” 

According to the bill, port improvements 

are to include land preparation and capital 

improvements to support the movement 

of freight for customers of the St. Charles 

County Port Authority. 

In a memo to the council, Ryan said, 

“The improvements will provide a benefit 

to St. Charles County and further the goals 

of the Port Authority in promoting waterborne 

commerce in this district. Through 

this agreement, the county will provide 

administrative support, procurement and 

management services to the Port Authority 

for the project.” 

IT operations security 

service chosen 


County Council unanimously approved a 

consent agenda item to award a security 

operations center professional services 

contract to SpearTip LLC of St. Louis. The 

$866,796 contract has a term of one year, 

with three optional renewals. 

The Information Systems department 

had requested the purchase of this service 

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“to provide monitoring, detection and incident 

response for all county computers and 

servers, as well as advanced threat detection 

and monitoring for user and email 

accounts. Services include all licensing 

for software deployed and managed by 

the vendor, as well as 24/7 staffed coverage 

from the SpearTip Security Operations 

Center.” 

The department used a request for proposal 

process, resulting in four responses. 

SpearTip LLC was chosen as the finalist 

for best fit and value. 

This cost was included in the 2024 

County budget. 

Let’s Be Active Together! 

A 

C 

T 

I 

V 

E 

ctivity promotes physical, 

cognitive and emotional 

well-being 

hair yoga is just one of 

the physical activities 

we promote 

herapists are at all of our 

locations to monitor a 

resident’s mobility 

and movement 

ndividual care programs 

include activities and 

exercise therapies 

itality 

is the key 

to happiness 

veryone 

is encouraged 

to be active

10 I NEWS I 





The rise of legal, recreational cannabis and its new user demographics 

By KATE UPTERGROVE 

The seating arrangement of the 1980s 

school bus often looked something like this: 

At the rear of the bus were the kids who came 

in faintly, or maybe not so faintly, smelling 

of marijuana; next were the athletes and 

popular kids; and finally, in the front of the 

bus, were the kids who played it safe. Fast 

forward to 2024 and many of those kids, now 

in their 50s and 60s, are asking questions and 

wondering if their peers in the back had the 

right idea. Even the so-called squares in the 

front are stepping outside the box and into 

dispensaries wondering if cannabis can help 

with aching joints, insomnia, anxiety, depression 

and relaxation. 

Who’s using and why 

Since Feb. 3, 2023, the state’s first day of 

legal recreational cannabis sales, dispensaries 

statewide have sold nearly $4 million 

of products daily, according to The Missouri 

Cannabis Trade Association (MoCann). This 

past January, MoCann predicted sales topping 

$1.3 billion for 2023 – and first-time 

buyers, especially Baby Boomers and Gen 

Xers, appear to be a large part of that population. 

“What I have noticed is that the average 

customer is probably about 50,” said Kim 

Hitchcock, who co-owns Missouri Wild 

Alchemy in O’Fallon with her husband, 

Scott; daughter, Nicole Crady; and son-inlaw, 

Jason Crady. She said she sees families 

come in together and as a family-owned 

business, she appreciates their trust. 

“You’ve got grandma, you’ve got mom and 

you have a granddaughter. Grandma can’t 

sleep. Mom wants us, our wellness coordinators, 

to tell her, ‘Yes, we have you. We’ve got 

you.’ She wants Grandma to know there’s 

a natural way to help her and that what her 

daughter and granddaughter are doing is OK. 

It’s OK.” 

Hitchcock says education is key when 

it comes to using cannabis – and gummies 

aren’t for everyone. 

“Everyone talks about gummies,” she said 

about first-time buyers. “But gummies aren’t 

the answer for everyone.” 

As Hitcock explained, in her experience 

gummies can take from take between 15 

minutes and up to 2 hours to produce the 

desired results, though many factors come 

into play in their effectiveness. She suggested 

that capsules can be a better choice 

because the onset of effectiveness and dose 

can be more precisely controlled. 

For this article, a first-time gummy user 

shared that in trying to find relief for her 

chronic back pain ahead of an important 

event, she followed a friend’s advice and 

took a cannabis-laced gummy. When it did 

not work within 10 minutes, she chewed 

another one. By the time, the cannabinoid 

neurotransmitters began to affect her nerves 

and brain, she had consumed four gummies 

and was no longer able to function well 

enough to attend her event. But she said, 

laughingly, her back no longer hurt. 

Hitchcock stressed that’s why it’s so 

important to understand what the many cannabis 

and cannabidiol (CBD) products can 

do in regard to what the customer wants to 

achieve. 

Abrahama Keys is the executive director 

of the Greater St. Louis NORML chapter. 

NORML is a national public policy nonprofit 

that works to secure access to marijuana 

through legalization, legislation and 

education. 

“One of the things that cannabis adult-use 

legislation brings out is the safety and the 

regulation side. When you think about it, 

people who are older want some information 

first,” Keys said. “And there’s so much 

information now that supports the many 

different types of safe consumption, which 

I think has really added to people being willing 

to try different things and being open 

about doing so.” 

Keys said what is happening across the 

state is that legal adults across all demographics 

are using cannabis, including Millennials 

who are following a trend away 

from alcohol and toward mocktails and 

cannabis. 

“There’s no hangover with cannabis,” 

Keys said. “Even the behaviors of people 

See CANNABIS, page 27 

 

BY THE NUMBERS 

$1.3 BILLION 

 

 

$3.84 MILLION 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

$13 MILLION 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Blair, Owens elected to Francis Howell Board of Education 

By ROBIN SEATON JEFFERSON 

Though the conservatives lost a bid for 

two seats on the seven-person Francis 

Howell School District Board of Education, 

both sides are finding cause for celebration 

following the April 2 election. 

Carolie Owens and Steven Blair, backed 

by the progressive Francis Howell Forward 

political action group (PAC), will 

now occupy the seats vacated by board 

directors Chad Lange and Janet Stiglich. 

Conservatives will still maintain the majority 

on the board, however. 

And this is a cause for celebration, says 

Ken Gontarz, president of Francis Howell 

Families, the conservative PAC formed in 

2021. That group backed candidates Adriana 

Kuhn and Sam Young, who lost in the 

April 2 election. 

“We did everything but win,” Gontarz 

said. “We had just under 8,000 votes per 

candidate. That is phenomenal. That would 

have won in the past.” 

Gontarz said it was a “great campaign.” 

“I have never seen such enthusiasm, such 

determination,” Gontarz said. “Our participation 

has skyrocketed. Yes, we are disappointed 

that we didn’t win. But we have 

already regrouped and we are ready to go.” 

And the enthusiasm was every bit as 

high on the other side. 

“We flipped the results,” said Amy Easterling, 

one of the four founders of the 

progressive Francis Howell Forward PAC. 

“There was an eight percent lead on Francis 

Howell Families candidates last year, and 

we completely reversed that.” 

According to the St. Charles County 

Election Authority unofficial results, Blair 

won his seat with 9,513 votes. Owens 

won hers with 9,483. Kuhn had 7,910 and 

Young had 7,793. 

A series of issues in the last year have 

caused significant political and ideological 

division among board members, students, 

district staff and parents, including policies 

on transgender bathroom rules, changes to 

the district’s Black History and Black Literature 

course curriculums and the rescinding 

of the district’s anti-racism resolution. 

Fiscal direction and responsibility are also 

a concern as the district navigates millions 

of dollars in overrun in the construction of 

the new Francis Howell North High School. 

Five of the seven seats on the board are 

supported by Francis Howell Families. 

Despite the political divide, both sides say 

all they want is a good education for all. 

“Our community does not want a school 

board that is focused on culture wars, CRT 

[Critical Race Theory], book banning and 

transgender students,” Easterling said. 

“We need to focus on making our students 

and teachers successful. The reason they’re 

called culture wars is because they’re 

manufactured. They are not what we want 

our teachers to be focused on. We want to 

focus on student success and teachers’ pay.” 

The calls from the other side were just as 

impassioned. 

“We want our schools to teach education 

without any social or sexual agendas 

being advanced,” Gontarz said. “Will you 

just educate our students? If you’re a transgender 

person, if you’re a homosexual, 

if you’re a Christian, if you’re black, if 

you’re white, we want you to get a great 

education and pursue academic excellence. 

What we don’t want is boys in girls’ bathrooms. 

We want the safety and security of 

the majority of the 17,000 students in the 

district maintained.” 

Blair said he is just ready to get to work. 

The Kirkwood United Methodist Church 

pastor and newly-elected board member 

said there are many other issues other than 

transgender bathroom rules that need to be 

addressed at Francis Howell. 

“There are no reports of problems or danger, 

as the other side suggests, that are happening 

in large amounts,” Blair said regarding 

transgender bathroom rules. “I believe ‘love 

your neighbor’ means giving the best possible 

public education to the 17,000 students 

in the district. I want to focus on education. I 

have pastored red, blue, purple and none of 

the above people who disagree on a number 

See FRANCIS HOWELL, page 12





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12 I NEWS I 





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By JESSICA MARIE BAUMGARTNER 

The winners of the April 2 General 

Municipal Election are in, bringing the 

potential for change to Dardenne Prairie at 

a time when the city’s direction and future 

are under heavy debate. 

Both Ward 1 and Ward 2 had open seats 

for the Board of Alderman, while the Ward 

3 race remained uncontested. 

Residents have been closely following 

the election, as the future of the city 

remains uncertain due to differing ideologies 

about what types of developments 

should be built in the area. 

While some city officials have asserted 

that bringing in new populations via multiuse 

developments with multi-family homes 

is necessary, others argue that Dardenne 

Prairie’s local culture needs to be preserved 

and maintained with a focus on expanding 

retail options that best fit the city. 

In Ward 2, Carla Detweiler won with 

75% of the vote. She ran on a platform that 

opposed urbanizing Dardenne Prairie with 

more apartment complexes. 

During an interview with Mid Rivers 

Newsmagazine, she said her constituents 

told her that this issue was the main reason 

they were voting for her. Detweiler added 

that winning was a relief. 

FRANCIS HOWELL, from page 10 

of topics. But they can agree on certain ways 

of treating people.” 

Young, who was unsuccessful in his bid 

for a seat on the board, said he thought 

board members had done a good job sifting 

through the issues over the past year 

and that all of the candidates had improved 

the quality of discourse. 

“I am proud of the time and work put in,” 

Young said. “There was a broad agreement 

between candidates to try to improve the 

atmosphere at board meetings. Everyone 

was committed to removing those who 

disrupt, mock, interrupt or insult others. 

I would applaud current and past board 

members. They are always respectful of 

each other.” 

New board member Owens said in an 

email that her first priority is to “help bring 

about healing in our district. People are 

hurting and deserve a school board who 

serves the community instead of serving 

political ideologies.” 

“We can bring about unity by collaborating 

on each and every issue,” Owens 

wrote. “Board decisions should not be 

“It’s an experience,” she said on election 

night. 

Detweiler explained that she plans to 

“Hear what the people have to say like I 

always have.” 

“I’m not voting for big apartment complexes,” 

she added. “That’s the main thing 

I’ve stood for from day one.” 

Ryan Wilson won his race for the Ward 1 

seat, earning over 70% of the vote. 

On election night Wilson said, “I cannot 

believe it.” 

“I’m amazed and even more happy for 

my community,” he went on. 

Wilson noted that his top priorities are 

finding out what the community needs and 

working with his ward partner, Aldermen 

Laura Gittemeier, to represent everyone in 

his area, even those who did not vote for 

him. 

“It’s all about the community,” he concluded. 

Alderman Mark Johnson offered his support 

to the newly elected city officials after 

winning re-election in Ward 3. 

In a statement, Johnson wrote, “I am 

excited for all the new aldermen elected. 

Look forward to working with everyone 

and making Dardenne Prairie prosperous 

and the best place to live in St. Charles 

County.” 

based on bias, but instead, be informed by 

the education professionals, the needs of 

the school community, and our laws.” 

Neither side will be easing up anytime 

soon, as two more seats will be up for 

grabs in 2025. Three more seats will be 

available in 2026. And even as the newly 

chosen board members prepare to settle 

into their new roles, the fight continues. 

“The FHForward leadership wants to be 

very, very clear,” Francis Howell Forward 

posted to Facebook the Friday following 

the election. “No one is really ‘winning.’ 

While our society is grappling with significant 

social changes, while we face tough 

questions about what inclusion and equality 

really look like, we are failing to ask 

some of the most important questions of 

all: How do we break the cycle of partisan 

culture wars? How do we teach our children 

to honor the dignity of any person in 

any position along a traditional vs progressive 

spectrum?” 

A statement from Francis Howell Families 

congratulated Owens and Blair on their 

victory, but ends with a call to action. 

“We will need all hands on deck as we get 

ready for next year,” the statement reads.





I NEWS I 13 

Conflict between Brazil, Election Authority intensifies on election night 

By JOHN TREMMEL 

A two-year feud between two seasoned 

elected officials in St. Charles County, 

which has included heated exchanges and 

accusations during County Council meetings, 

escalated during the April 2 General 

Municipal Election. 

Kurt Bahr has been the county’s director 

of elections since Jan. 1, 2019. Joe 

Brazil has been a council member since 

2000, representing District 2. Disagreements 

between these two have flared up 

on several topics, including the costs, use 

and security of voting machines instead of 

hand-counting ballots. 

On election night, Tuesday, April 2, after 

the polls closed, Bahr said that Brazil had 

sent an “inappropriate complaint” about 

the election staff via text to Mark Parkinson, 

assistant director of the Election 

Authority, and provided Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 

with a screenshot of the supposed 

exchange. Bahr said the text included a 

threat of jail time for Election Authority 

staff, causing fear for the employees while 

they were still working on election night. 

“I sent a strongly worded email to the 

councilman, saying he must cease and 

desist immediately,” Bahr said. “He certainly 

can communicate with me, as one 

elected official to another. Communicating 

to a non-elected county employee in 

that manner, during active tabulation of 

election ballots, is an abuse of his authority. 

He was inappropriately exerting his 

power as a council member over a county 

employee. 

“My office has contacted HR because 

staff feel the work environment is becoming 

hostile. They feel unsafe from Brazil 

because of this recent threat and because 

he voted against the new customer service 

wall we are building to provide more physical 

security in the office.” 

When asked for comments on the situation, 

Brazil said he “apologized to Kurt for 

what happened Tuesday night.” 

“It was not about Tuesday night, it was 

part of a two-year feud because he (Bahr) 

won’t answer questions or provide FOIA 

(Freedom of Information Act and Missouri 

Sunshine Law) information that he 

is required to provide, by law, within two 

weeks,” Brazil said. 

“I would apologize to Mark Parkinson 

for making comments about prison time,” 

Brazil added. “I had Mark’s cell phone 

number because he’s the conduit for Bahr, 

and the one I talk to and text with all the 

time, since Bahr does not usually respond.” 

Brazil said that in the past it seemed 

election results had come more quickly, 

and that this time he was dissatisfied with 

the progress of counting votes two hours 

after the polls had closed. 

“So, I texted Mark to complain,” Brazil 

said. “Then, later, when the results were 

known, it turned out that conservative candidates 

all lost. That caused me to question, 

again, the voting machines and process.” 

Bahr claimed that the repeated “attacks” 

on the Election Authority are causing 

others to contact his office with concerns 

about election integrity and that many 

are expressing those concerns in “hostile 

ways with loud, aggressive speech” both in 

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“My employees have to deal with this on 

a daily basis and it has become worse, not 

better, since the 2020 election,” Bahr said. 

“This has gotten bad enough that Election 

Authority employees are afraid to tell 

anyone where they work, and they won’t 

even wear shirts with their department’s 

name,” Bahr added. “They are afraid to 

answer emails and phone calls. They also 

are afraid of Brazil.” 

Brazil said that a lack of transparency 

about, and high costs of, the voting 

machines has been a concern of his. He 

cited concerns about “last minute” agenda 

items coming before the county council to 

pay for the machines as well. 

“They do not answer questions from 

public officials on the council,” Brazil said. 

“They do not provide requested information. 

There are lots of problems there. And 

now, Mark and Kurt are upset because I 

sent a text to Mark complaining about the 

delay in counting election results?” 

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Seventh-grade writer gets her “Sea Legs” in publishing 

By BETHANY COAD 

Becoming a successful storyteller isn’t 

about just finding the right words, nor is 

it about simply developing good characters. 

Becoming a successful storyteller is 

mostly about finding the motivation to see 

the job through. 

At least, it was this drive to dive into creative 

waters that Juliana Riley discovered 

to be instrumentally important to establishing 

the foundations of her first published 

novel titled, “Sea Legs: The Seven Colonies.” 

Riley, a seventh-grade student at Wentzville 

South Middle, loves to read and write. 

“Big surprise there,” Riley joked. 

She’s also drawn to other creative outlets 

such as art, crocheting and playing 

saxophone, clarinet and guitar. A writer 

from the time she was able to print legibly, 

she has always released her thoughts in the 

forms of small stories, but this is the first 

time a story grew into a full volume. 

“I’m not entirely sure what initially drove 

me to publish a book,” Riley said. “Mostly 

it was to share the little world that began to 

grow and thrive in my head.” 

Bringing that world to an audience 

proved tougher than she had imagined. 

“I asked my former ELA teacher about it, 

and he gave me some advice for planning 

out each chapter. So, I did…for about five 

chapters. Then I forgot about that way of 

doing so and just went with the flow from 

there,” Riley said. 

Going with the flow seems to be a recurring 

theme in Riley’s story, which is based 

around water. 

“A few years ago we went to O’ahu 

[Hawaii] for vacation and we went on a 

little cruise in the ocean. The captain of their 

watercraft mentioned ‘sea legs,’” Riley said. 

“I was like, ‘Hmm. What if I made a book 

about sea legs?’ I then grew the idea for 

weeks and it slowly took form. I changed 

so many things along the way but I eventually 

got over the bumpy road and now am 

content with how it turned out.” 

Publication time came with all the 

excitement that Riley had imagined. 

“I was able to import everything and get 

Juliana Riley, seventh grade author of 

“Sea Legs: The Seven Colonies” holding a copy 

of her book. (Source: Wentzville School District) 

it sorted out,” she said. “The font style and 

size had to be changed, spaces needed to 

be fixed, and names had to be switched. It 

was really hard to keep fixing and republishing 

because of all the work I did, only 

to see it had to be changed once again.” 

This is where the motivation to keep 

going had to be kicked into gear. 

“It was incredibly hard to find motivation, 

but my friends and family helped 

with that so much. Writing the book took 

a long time – over a year. This was on and 

off, mostly to take breaks and then forget 

about it entirely.” 

Riley encouraged other aspiring authors 

to never stop writing and to read as much 

as possible. 

“Reading is important to see different 

styles and other ways to write, as well as 

more words to use,” she said. “If I can do 

it, so can everyone else who has a dream 

to write. It won’t even distract you from 

regular activities. It may be tough, but you 

can do it.” 

Riley’s book, Sea Legs: The Seven 

Colonies, is available now for purchase on 

Amazon.com, and will soon be available 

locally at Main Street Books in Historic St. 

Charles as well as in the library at Wentzville 

Middle. 

Fort Zumwalt West’s Sissom sizzles as a sophomore baseball player for Jaguars 

By WARREN MAYES 

There’s no sophomore jinx for Fort 

Zumwalt West’s Nolan Sissom. 

As a freshman, Sissom showed he 

belonged playing on the varsity. He started 

at second base but moved to play shortstop. 

Besides showing a good glove, Sissom 

flashed solid offense at the plate for the 

Jaguars. 

As a freshman he batted .344 with a .512 

on-base percentage, walking (28) significantly 

more than he struck out (6) while 

also stealing 16 bags. He drove in 26 runs 

to tie for the team lead. 

“What’s even more remarkable than his 

offensive stats is he only had one error on 

the season playing almost every inning in 

the middle infield,” Fort Zumwalt West 

coach Eric Gough said. “And the highlevel 

arms we saw throughout the season 

(many of them left-handed) make his 

offensive production, walks and minimal 

strikeouts even more impressive.” 

Sissom was happy with what he did. 

“I thought the freshman season was a 

huge success personally other than the 

team falling in the district final,” Sissom 

said. “I just took everything I worked on 

through the offseason and put it to work. It 

was a great challenge and experience for 

my future because playing up for three or 

four years is hard, but it makes it so fun.” 

The sophomore jinx is when a player 

fails to live up to the relatively high standards 

set during a freshman year. 

So much for that concern. 

The 5-foot-9, 170-pound Sissom bats 

left-handed and throws right-handed. He 

is hitting .385 through the first 16 games 

for the Jaguars this spring. He’s leading 

the team with 13 RBI and tied for the team 

lead in doubles with four. He also has a 

triple. 

“Baseball is my love and the minute 

I take the field I know I am in the right 

place,” Sissom said. “I was very fortunate 

to play for an independent team growing 

up, called the Rascals. My dad (Matthew) 

started the team and always made sure we 

were learning and having fun. He taught us 

the right way to play the game and I am 

grateful for that experience.” 

His father is an assistant coach for the 

Jaguars. 

“My dad coaching this year was huge for 

me because he knows my game the best,” 

Sissom said. “He knows how to physically 

See FORT ZUMWALT, next page 

Fort Zumwalt West’s Nolan Sissom hold the 

plaque the Jaguars won for finishing first in the 

28th annual Troy Buchanan Classic. Standing 

with him is his father, Matthew Sissom, 

assistant coach on the varsity team. The 

Jaguars won the Buchanan Classic with a 4-3 

win over Francis Howell, the runner-up in the 

Class 6 state tournament last spring. 

(Photo by Melissa Sissom)

FAMILY & KIDS 

High-flying fun holding onto the string of a kite 


One of the most poignant scenes in the 

original “Mary Poppins” comes at the end 

of the movie when the father, George Banks, 

has a change of heart and repairs his children’s 

broken kite. 

“Let’s go fly a kite, up to the highest 

height,” he sings to them. “Let’s go fly a kite 

and send it soaring!” 

What a great idea! And April is the perfect 

month for kite flying. Why? Well, according 

to Mitch Cordover, president of the Gateway 

Kite Club, it’s all about wind speed. 

“Between three and five miles per hour 

is the ideal wind speed for flying kites,” he 

explained. “That’s why April is National 

Kite Flying month because it’s the best time 

for finding wind in that range.” 

Cordover noted that all purchased kites 

should have a wind rating on the package. 

Simply put, a kite is a tethered aircraft 

usually powered by wind. But, as Cordover 

explained, its history is long and significant. 

“Most people think of kite flying as an 

innocent amusement and many people think 

of kites as being primarily associated with 

kids. But in fact, there’s a large and serious 

adult kite-flying community where we 

make kites and compete with kite making 

and design and fly sport kites in all kinds of 

intricate and balletic ways.” 

Cordover is a national champion for kite 

building and fighter kite flying. Currently, 

he said he is building Suruga kites, a design 

that originated in what was once the Suruga 

province of Japan. According to Cordover, 

every Japanese province had its own special 

Mitch Cordover, president of the Gateway 

Kite Club, with one of his kite creations at a 

festival in California (Photo courtesy of Cordover) 

kind of kite design, and they would have 

kite flying festivals and kite fighting festivals 

where people would try to knock each 

other’s kites out of the sky. 

“The thing about flying kites is it can be 

quite deep,” Cordover said. “There’s a history 

to kite flying, and there are all these different 

forms and aerodynamics of it, but it 

all comes down to being outdoors in the sun 

and the wind and having fun doing something 

that is cooperative and, at the very 

least, harmless. 

“(However,) there are some important 

safety considerations when it comes to kite 

flying. Watch for cars. Don’t climb a tree 

to free a kite. The most common way that 

people become injured flying kites is from 

climbing a tree to free it. If you can’t pull 

it out or fly it out, abandon it. It’s not worth 

hurting yourself to free a kite. Watch out for 

power lines but here’s an interesting thing: 

If you fly a kite into a power line you will 

not be electrocuted but you will short out 

the local transformer and the local power 

company will be very cross with you.” 

According to Cordover, running should 

never be needed to launch a kite. 

In terms of where to fly a kite, Cordover 

said open fields in local parks offer perfect 

flying sites as long as they are free of obstacles 

and away from traffic. 

“A good flying field is a place where you 

can stand away from the trees (at) one-anda-half 

times the height of a tree,” Cordover 

said. “You also want to make sure that the 

site is wide enough and long enough or 

elevated enough to have wind. If you’re surrounded 

by houses and it’s small, you won’t 

have much wind.” 

To learn more, Cordover invites people to 

visit, like and follow the Gateway Kite Club 

Facebook page. 

“It will tell you when we fly and when we 

are flying in festivals,” Cordover said. “We 

really welcome people, and we welcome 

people to bring their children because we 

want kids to fly kites.” 

Cordover noted that the easiest design to 

launch for a child or any first-time flyer is 

the triangular delta design. That might seem 

surprising since the most common kite, at 

least in terms of images, is a traditional diamond-shaped 

kite known as the Eddy kite. 

That kite was created in the 1890s by William 

Abner Eddy, an American accountant 

and journalist who used it in meteorological 

experiments. Its basic image and easy-tobuild 

design have been associated with kiteflying 

ever since. 

But there’s so much more to the art of kite 

building and flying. 

Speaking about the Gateway Kite Club, 

Cordover said, “We will teach you how to 

fly single-line kites, and if you are interested, 

we will teach you how to fly twoand 

four-line kites. We have some national 

champions in sport kite flying in our club. 

And if you want to learn how to fly fighter 

kites, I’m a fighter kite flyer. And if people 

are interested in learning to fly single-line 

acrobatic kites, then we can teach them how 

to do that. If you have a kite, great, bring it. 

If your kids have kites, perfect. If not, we 

have so many kites that most of the time 

when people come out, if they’re newbies, 

they’re flying ours.” 

One upcoming event featuring members 

of the Gateway Kite Club is the Fourth 

Annual High on Life Kite Festival, which 

will be held from 9 a.m.-1 p.m. on Saturday, 

May 4 at Chesterfield Central Park. Hosted 

by the Ascension Parish Knights of Columbus, 

the festival is open to flyers of all ages. 

The Knights will have up to 70 kites for 

participants to decorate and fly, but guests 

are also encouraged to bring their own kites. 

Flyers and spectators alike are also encouraged 

to bring seating and picnic baskets. In 

the event of inclement weather, the festival 

will be held on May 11. 

FORT ZUMWALT, from previous 

help me and mentally help me in every way. 

From helping to tweak my swing to helping 

me stay mentally ready in the box or 

on the field. He is a great coach and having 

him makes our coaching staff even better.” 

Gough said Sissom earned the spot on 

the varsity as a freshman. 

“I’ve had the pleasure of watching Nolan 

grow up. His dad has been coaching in our 

program since 2006,” Sissom said. “Nolan 

started coming to summer camp at about 

5 years old. By age 7, his swing was so 

smooth and connected that you had to get 

advanced with a young guy to find where 

he needed to improve. He is a natural-born 

hitter. 

“We were curious to see him in tryouts 

as a freshman alongside our experienced 

varsity guys. He proved very quickly that 

he belonged with the quality and production 

of his at-bats against our best senior 

pitchers. And defensively, he is just so 

sound. He earned a spot in the lineup and 

hit leadoff on opening day.” 

In storybook fashion, his first game was 

a good one. 

“The first pitch of the season (at Seckman) 

was a solid opposite-field line drive,” 

Gough said. “A couple of innings later, 

he stole third base on his own when the 

pitcher got in a rhythm. When you tell your 

seniors to do what the freshman just did, 

you have a special ball player.” 

His teammates have taken notice. Sissom 

is a team captain this season, voted to the 

position by his teammates, Gough said. 

Sissom takes his new position seriously. 

“Being a captain this year was a huge 

step from where I was last year leadershipwise,” 

Sissom said. “While I’m still learning, 

I am more of a lead-by-example type 

of player. I still use my voice a lot, but 

it’s mainly motivational. I like leading by 

example with my game and my hustle. I 

like to set the tone of how hard I play and 

how much I love the game.” 

This season, Sissom wants to be “the 

best teammate, and player I can be to help 

us win a district championship and move 

onto a quarterfinal game and go compete 

at state.” 

Sissom would like to be an all-state 

selection this year as well, but said the 

team goals are what really matter to him. 

He likes playing for Gough; the coach 

has had a big impact on his real life and 

baseball career. 

They have a good relationship. 

“Since my dad has coached at Zumwalt 

West for almost my whole life, I’ve known 

coach Gough forever,” Sissom said. “I’ve 

been going to the summer camps since 

I was a kid, until going into high school. 

So, learning how he coaches and what he 

expects out of players really helped me as 

a baseball player. He also is a great leader 

in my real life. Helping me stay on top of 

school, my attitude and being a leader.” 

The goal for the Jaguars is to go deeper 

in the postseason than they did last year. 

Sissom believes it is possible. 

“Our team this year is fun. We have the 

talent and depth to be a special team,” 

Sissom said. “Our top pitchers in Tanner 

Sullivan, Jeter Rupp, Cole Harris are big 

time arms that give us a great chance to 

win every time we step on the field. Our 

lineup and defense is very strong and is 

a state-contending type of offense and 

defense. 

“This group gets after it every day in practice 

and doesn’t take anything light. We are 

always full-focus and full-effort to prepare 

ourselves for any scenario. I believe this 

team will do special things this year as we 

chase a state title.”

16 I DÉCOR & LIFESTYLES I 



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Good fences make good neighbors. 

There’s a lot of truth to that statement, 

especially if you have pets, children, pools 

or anything else that needs to be kept safe 

and contained. 

From classics made of wrought iron or 

wood to modern statement pieces in concrete 

and cast aluminum, there’s a lot to 

choose from. But the first questions you 

have to ask are: Can I have a fence in my 

subdivision or municipality and if so, are 

there style restrictions? 

Experts advise homeowners to always 

check with their local government to make 

sure they are following all zoning ordinances 

and laws, or HOA mandates. Fence 

companies are unlikely to know your 

HOA’s regulations, so before you authorize 

any fencing project be sure you know the 

rules and have discussed them with your 

fence provider. Not being proactive before 

installation can be a costly mistake. 

Another expensive error is not knowing 

where your utility lines are located 

and the exact boundaries of your property. 

Locating and marking utility lines is as 

simple as calling 811 and waiting a few 

days for utility company personnel to visit 

your home and flag the land where buried 

wires or irrigation systems are located. 

When installing, homeowners need to be 

precise about boundry lines, which means 

pulling out the plat map of your property. 

Can’t find your plat map? The city clerk 

in your municipality or the county clerk 

in unincorporated areas should be able to 

assist you. 

Once you’ve completed the groundwork, 

you’re ready to sit down with a fencing professional 

and talk design. What you choose 

depends on what you want to achieve. 

When it comes to privacy, solid panels 

are the way to go. Wood is traditional but 

not all wood is created equal. The most 

popular choice in the Midwest is southern 

(Source: Adobe Stock) 

pine. It’s easy to obtain so you see it everywhere, 

but it must be treated to resist rot 

and termites. On the other hand, redwood 

and cedar fencing naturally resists insects 

and rot. All three can be sealed or stained 

with good results. When left unstained, 

cedar fences will weather to gray. 

Traditionally, wood fences are installed 

with vertical pickets measuring about 6 

inches in width, but for a more modern 

look, consider having narrower slats hung 

horizontally between posts with a little 

space in between. 

If your goal with fencing is to enclose 

a pool, it’s important to know what’s 

required. Regulations can vary by city and 

county, so a call to the city or county clerk 

can help prevent any confusion regarding 

regulations on height, gate locks and the 

spacing allowed between pickets. As for 

materials, stainless steel, aluminum and 

composite fencing, made from a combination 

of wood and plastic, are excellent 

choices. All are long-lasting, resistant to 

corrosion and nearly maintenance-free. 

Trying to keep wildlife out of a garden 

can be a challenge in our deer-prone community. 

According to deergardener.com, 

whitetail deer can jump as high as 8 feet 

on a run but are unlikely to do so unless 

threatened. Hence, they suggest that a 7- to 

8-foot fence usually serves as a significant 

deterrent. Pickets should be tight enough 

to prevent deer or other plant-loving mammals 

from squeezing through and should 

sit firmly on Mother Earth. Chicken wire 

buried below and rising up the fenceline by 

at least a foot can also serve as a deterrent 

to smaller vermin. 

When is fencing not a fence? When it 

doubles as art. Laser-cut metal panels are a 

unique way to create screening and make a 

statement. Keep it simple or go ornate. Let 

it stand alone or inset within your overall 

fence design. Either way, a custom panel or 

two or more can make your yard, garden or 

pool space feel uniquely you.





I DÉCOR & LIFESTYLES I 17 

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By TRACEY BRUCE 

Everything old is new again in the latest 

designs for beautiful bathrooms, except, of 

course, for the technology which continues 

to rise to new heights of comfort. 

After a decade of bathrooms with clean, 

contemporary lines and palettes of white, 

gray and glass, an old-world feel is filling 

new bathrooms with colorful tile, brass fittings, 

paneled, plastered or papered walls 

and warm earthy touches of wood, rattan 

and woven textiles. 

When it comes to a bathroom redo, where 

do you begin? Begin with a more colorful 

palette, the understanding that natural materials 

are in vogue again and tile figures in, in 

a big way. 

As for the palette, wade into the new jewel 

tones for your private sanctuary. Think ruby/ 

burgandy, sapphire blue, emerald green or 

the perfect plum. The feeling is rich, elegant, 

cool, deep and color-filled. 

Paint them on the walls. Cover the floor 

with them. Pair them with warm creams for 

a lighter look. Paper a backdrop with beautiful 

jewel-colored blooms. Adorn walls with 

art in gold-toned frames, cabinets with gold 

or brass hardware and plumbing fixtures 

with brass faucets, showers and handles. 

As for neutral colors, they are still stylish, 



New trends for bathrooms take a step back in time 

but the shift is now toward warmer neutrals. 

Consider cream, beige or brown, pale pink 

or light peach. Some add light; all are warm 

and easy on the eye. Pair them with faux 

wood floors or terracotta tile. Accent with 

wicker baskets and rattan furniture for a 

casual, comfortable look. 

Ceramic tile in those jewel tone colors is 

now laid in old-world patterns making your 

walls an elegant backdrop for bathing and 

dressing. 

Overtaking the popular and straightforward 

subway wall pattern are the sophisticated 

herringbone and chevron patterns. 

Herringbone, a timeless classic, uses rectangular 

tiles cut at a 90-degree angle to make a 

zigzag pattern resembling a herring’s bones. 

The chevron design also zigs and zags, but 

the tiles are cut at a 45-degree angle and 

gives the pattern three-dimensional depth. 

The colors and finishes are endless. 

Simple and charming are hexagon-shaped 

mosaic tiles in vintage honeycomb patterns. 

These can be large tiles that grace the walls 

or nostalgic mosaic hexagons on the floor 

adorned with a border or patterns of colorful 

flowers, diamonds, stars or polka dots. The 

the mosaic tiles became trendy in the 1920s, 

and now 100 years later, are back. The patterns 

are whimsical and cheerful even if 

their maintenance can be a bit unwieldy. 

Fixtures are elegant and the stand-alone 

tub so prominent in the last decade has made 

the cut. Statement pieces are in, and those 

beautiful tubs whether they are contemporary 

polished bowls or old-time tubs with 

claw feet are inviting, classic and almost art. 

Some claw-footed tubs come with exteriors 

painted or covered with copper. 

As for vanities, more seems to be better 

and double sinks are definitely in for those 

who have the space and a use for them. For 

a contemporary look try the floating vanity 

which seems to give a tight room a more 

open feel. 

For an old-world look, repurpose an 

antique piece of furniture, cover it with a 

marble top or sink bowl and add a brass traditional-style 

faucet for an elegant step back 

in time. The walk-in shower also is standing 

firm and popular. Think spa with the latest 

tile designs. A clear glass enclosure is a must 

so everyone can see that beautiful backdrop. 

Also consider adding a bench for steamy 

relaxation and grab bars, because time waits 

for no one. A good contractor can help you 

decide which fixtures work best for the size 

of your space and determine the plumbing 

requirements. 

Tile is not the only way walls are coming 

alive. Wood paneling, wallpaper and even 

plaster walls are back in bathrooms. Each 




brings its own character and the style to the 

room, but the moisture of a small enclosed 

space should be considered before making a 

commitment. 

And now for the pièce de résistance – 

technology. Technology is everywhere, why 

not in the bathroom? Backlit mirrors are 

coming on strong. Some will have antifog 

devices, Bluetooth capabilities for music 

while you bathe and even a wifi weather 

display as you get ready to get out the door. 

Then, there is the toilet. Soon toilets 

will do everything for us and themselves, 

(almost). It’s about time. American Standard 

has one with a built-in bidet, a water 

heater with temperature controls, warm air 

dryer, automatic toilet lid and flushing, not 

to mention heated seats, a night light and a 

remote control. Things are looking up. Talk 

to your plumber, perhaps even an electrician 

about getting your place to go up to date. 

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Wallcoverings are making a comeback. 

Cue the groans of homeowners who, in 

the early 2000s, tried valiantly to remove 

wallpaper from the 1980s only to find 

themselves with aching arms and damaged 

walls. You can almost hear them bellow, 

“Never again!” 

But designers, including Katie Parrack, 

of the Fabric Co. in Chesterfield, implore, 

“Wait! Give it another chance. It’s better. 

We promise.” 

She credits the renaissance of wall coverings 

to the fact that “we’re all tired of gray 

walls and are ready for color and patterns.” 

She said today’s traditional wallpapers, 

both pasted and prepasted varieties, and 

newer peel-and-stick papers are “way 

more user friendly.” 

“I have all three types of wallpaper in my 

own home – pasted, prepasted and peeland-stick, 

so I have real world experience,” 

she said. “I will offer a word of caution 

about peel-and-stick papers. There are different 

levels of peel-and-stick. You (can) 

pick the print and they will print it to order. 

That is not always a quality peel-and-stick. 

But if you stick with a known company 

like Roommates by York Wallcoverings, or 

Brewster, you’ll end up with really good 

paper and it does come off.” 

Her caution with peel-and-stick is that 

“it’s basically a big vinyl sticker and it will 

stretch if you pull it too much. Also, if you 

try to use it in an area of high humidity, 

such as a bathroom or enclosed laundry 

room, it is likely that it will come loose.” 

To help in smoothing over wall imperfections, 

Parrack says traditional wallcoverings 

are very forgiving, but peel-and-stick 

not as much. 

“Because most peel-and-stick products 

have a glossy finish, they will show more 

of those imperfections that are beneath the 

paper,” Parrack said. “It is really recommended 

that you prime your walls with a 

primer made for use with wallpaper.” 

The WA says avoid hanging wallcoverings 

on surfaces painted with semi-gloss or 

high-gloss paint. Parrack said it’s essential 

to wipe down walls, especially in high traffic 

areas and kitchens, and pick the right 

paper for the room. 

Wallcoverings can be vinyl coated paper, 

coated fabric, paper backed vinyl, fabric 

backed vinyl, or solid vinyl or paper. The 

type best suited to the room depends on 

how the room is used. Vinyl coated paper, 

for example, resists grease and moisture 

better than plain paper, and works for 

bathrooms and kitchens, according to the 

WA. Your designer or wallcoverings seller 



Wallpaper 2.0 – Better, bolder 

and more beautiful than before 


will know if your selected paper is the best 

choice for the room. 

When planning a room remodel, consider 

the essentials. Furniture or the room’s 

architecture can have a dramatic influence 

wallcovering choice. The WA says a floor 

plan noting windows, doors and other permanent 

fixtures is a vital part of the planning 

process. Consider what design will 

work best with the size and scope of the 

room – big and bold? Or a smaller design? 

To find out, Parrack advises spending quality 

time with swatches. 

“Wallpaper, paint and drapery or upholstery 

fabric need to be sampled. Most wallcovering 

companies offer free 8x10 samples 

or larger ones for a fee,” Parrack said. “We 

suggest that once you find the ‘perfect’ wallpaper, 

or drapery fabric, order a sample and 

live with it for a couple of days.” 

The Fabric Co. allows customers to take 

wallpaper books home for a few days to 

peruse them. 

“It’s a time consuming process to find the 

paper that you are going to love long term,” 

Parrack said. “So planning is important.” 

One piece of essential advice from Parrack 

is to center the focal point of the wallcovering 

in the middle of the wall. 

“People like to start in the corners, but I 

advise them to start with the central focal 

point of the design, the initial panel, in the 

center of the wall and work out from there,” 

she said. 

If wallcoverings call you on one level 

but fill you with dread on another, Parrack 

says start small and think outside the walls. 

Consider using wallcoverings to add interest 

to furniture, such as inside bookshelves, 

on cabinet doors and drawers or as a statement 

art piece. 

“It’s little pops of surprise, kind of 

custom, very bespoke spaces in your home 

that showcase your personality. It doesn’t 

have to be large format. It can be small and 

still have an impact,” Parrack said. “Do 

what brings you joy!”





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22 I HEALTH I 





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Causes of an “alarming” increase in the U.S. maternal death rate must be identified 

and addressed, according to a new report from Northwestern University. 

(Adobe Stock photo) 

HEALTH 

CAPSULES 

By LISA RUSSELL 

Study probes rising U.S. 

maternal death rate 

To the surprise and concern of public 

health experts, pregnancy-related deaths in 

the U.S. – also called the maternal mortality 

rate – have been increasing rapidly over the 

past 10 years. Many have believed the primary 

reason for this is women are generally 

giving birth at older ages, which increases 

mortality risk. But maternal age is not the 

primary factor behind the increase, according 

to a new Northwestern University study. 

Calling the rising death rate “alarming,” 

Northwestern researchers found 

that maternal deaths have been increasing 

among every age group, with the greatest 

relative increases among young mothers 

25-29 and 30-34 years of age. 

“Older maternal age is an important risk 

factor in maternal mortality, but our findings 

highlight the need to learn what else 

is causing these rates to accelerate in more 

recent years, especially in younger adults 

less than 35 years old. We’re going in the 

wrong direction,” said Sadiya Khan, M.D., 

associate professor of cardiology at Northwestern’s 

Feinberg School of Medicine. 

While the average U.S. maternal age 

increased by just over a year from 28.3 

to 29.4 between 2014 and 2021, the study 

found that overall maternal mortality rates 

in the U.S. nearly doubled, from 16.5 to 31.8 

per 100,000 live births, during that same 

period. The largest increase in death rates 

(from 18.9 to 31.8) occurred between 2019 

and 2021, coinciding with the COVID-19 

pandemic, the analysis found. 

While this study wasn’t able to pinpoint 

exactly what is causing the increases, previous 

research by Khan and others has 

pointed to cardiovascular diseases, including 

hypertension, heart failure and stroke, 

as factors behind a large number of poor 

maternal health outcomes. 

“It is critical that we understand what the 

causes of deaths are and how we can prevent 

them, as maternal deaths are largely 

preventable,” Khan said. 

The study was published in March in 

the American Journal of Preventive Medicine. 

SLU research links adversity 

with mental, issues 

Going through hard times in life can have 

serious impacts on the brain many years 

afterward, depending on one’s age when 

they face those rough patches, according to 

a team of Saint Louis University researchers. 

They say just one experience of adversity 

in childhood can increase the chances 

of mental illness later in life, while adverse 

events experienced as an adult can lead to 

greater odds of both mental illness and cognitive 

decline. 

The SLU research team, led by Associate 

Professor SangNam Ahn, Ph.D., examined 

data from nearly 3,500 children and adults 

over the course of 24 years. The group took 

this long-term data and evaluated it using a 

specific list of traumatic events. 

“Life is very complicated, very dynamic,” 

Ahn said. “I really wanted to highlight 

the importance of looking into the lasting 

health effect of adversity, not only childhood 

but also adulthood adversity on health 

outcomes, especially physical health and 

psychiatric and cognitive health.” 

The most common adverse experiences 

faced by children in the study were 

moving due to financial difficulties, the 

family requiring financial help, a parent 

experiencing unemployment, trouble 

with law enforcement before the age of 

18, repeating school, experiencing physical 

abuse, and parental abuse of drugs 

or alcohol. Common adverse events for 

adults included the death or serious illness 

of a child or spouse, experiencing a 

natural disaster or being the victim of a 

physical attack after the age of 17, firing a 

weapon in combat, having a partner who 

abuses drugs or alcohol, receiving Medicaid 

or food stamps, and experiencing 

BJC recognized by Newsweek 

Both BJC HealthCare in the St. Louis 

region and its recently acquired Saint 

Luke’s Health System in Kansas City 

have been named to Newsweek’s 2024 

lists of “America’s Greatest Companies 

for Diversity” and “America’s Greatest 

Workplaces for Women.” 

“I’m so pleased to see both our East 

Region and West Region honored on 

these lists,” said BJC Health System CEO 

Rich Liekweg. “It’s recognition that we 

are an organization with a shared vision to 

improve health care across the Midwest, 

and a shared culture that emphasizes and 

celebrates extraordinary care, hard work, 

innovation and inclusion ...To serve our 

communities, we need to represent and 

embrace the diversity of the people who 

unemployment. 

The team’s analysis determined that 

nearly 40% of all those included in the 

study experienced some form of childhood 

adversity, with that number climbing to 

nearly 80% during their adult years. 

Cases of either childhood or adulthood 

adversity were related to higher rates of 

both anxiety and depression later in life; 

and in cases of adult adversity, cognitive 

decline in later years was also a more 

likely outcome along with a higher incidence 

of depression. The more adverse 

experiences participants went through, 

the more likely these negative outcomes 

became. 

One result Ahn said he found surprising 

was that adults in the study who reported 

higher levels of education also were less 

likely to experience negative long-term 

effects as a result of adversity, adding 

that he hopes to conduct further research 

to learn how education might mitigate its 

impact on mental health and cognitive 

decline. The team’s study was published in 

the Journal of Clinical Psychology. 

What’s actually in tattoo ink? 

A recent Pew Research Center survey 

found nearly a third of Americans have at 

least one tattoo. More than 20% of us have 

make up our communities.” 

The process to achieve recognition as 

one of “America’s Greatest Companies for 

Diversity” included analysis of over 1.5 

million company reviews and a thorough 

examination of publicly available data, 

included details about corporate culture, 

working environments and diversity ratios, 

among others. To be recognized as a top 

national workplace for women, there was 

a five-part survey that included interviews 

with HR professionals, a survey for female 

employees, and scoring of more than 10 

key performance indicators – including the 

number of women in leadership positions, 

a culture that supports working mothers, 

and fair compensation practices between 

male and female employees.





I 23 

more than one of these pieces of body art, 

whether we display them publicly or not. 

One question we may not think to ask 

before getting “ink” is what chemicals 

make up the colorful designs that will 

be permanently etched under our skin? 

According to scientists at Binghamton University 

in New York, the ingredient labels 

on tattoo inks usually don’t match the 

actual substances in the bottle – and some 

of the ingredients they do contain may be 

concerning. 

The Binghamton researchers analyzed 

tattoo inks from nine U.S. manufacturers 

ranging from large global companies to 

smaller producers, comparing their contents 

with the labeled ingredients. 

Of the 54 inks they tested, 45 had major 

discrepancies with their listed contents, 

such as different pigments than those on 

their labels or additives which weren’t 

listed at all. More than half contained 

unlisted polyethylene glycol, which can 

cause organ damage with repeated exposure, 

and 15 of them contained propylene 

glycol, a potential allergen. Other unlisted 

ingredients included an antibiotic commonly 

used to treat urinary tract infections 

and a chemical called 2-phenoxyethanol, 

which can pose potential health risks to 

nursing infants, they said. 

Their research cannot determine whether 

these and other unlisted ingredients were 

added intentionally or if the manufacturer 

was provided with incorrectly labeled or 

contaminated materials. But the study’s 

results should merit the attention of those 

in the tattoo industry, said John Swierk, 

Ph.D., an assistant professor of chemistry 

whose lab conducted the tests. 

“We’re hoping the manufacturers take 

this as an opportunity to reevaluate their 

processes, and that artists and clients take 

this as an opportunity to push for better 

labeling and manufacturing,” Swierk said. 

Regulation of tattoo inks in the U.S. market 

has occurred only recently. In late 2022, Congress 

passed the Modernization of Cosmetics 

Regulation Act (MoCRA), which allowed 

the Food and Drug Administration to regulate 

tattoo inks for the first time, including 

accurate labeling practices. Before that time, 

tattoo inks were considered cosmetic in 

nature and not subject to regulation. 

On the calendar 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Let’s Cook!! 

Herbs and Spices on Tuesday, April 23 

from 4-5 p.m. in the St. Luke’s Cardiac 

Rehab Kitchen, 121 St. Luke’s Center Drive 

in Chesterfield. Join a St. Luke’s dietician 

for a free, live cooking demonstration and 

sample some fresh herbs along with a delicious 

chicken dish prepared with whole 

grains and cherry tomatoes. Register at 

stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

A St. Luke’s Nutrition Class is on 

Wednesday, April 24 from 2-3 p.m. at 

Schnucks Eatwell Market, 220 THF Blvd. in 

Chesterfield. A St. Luke’s Hospital dietitian 

will discuss how to find and make healthier 

choices at the grocery store, how to read a 

food label, and nutrition recommendations 

for optimal health. The registration cost is 

$5; all participants will receive wellness 

resources, samples and a $10 Schnucks gift 

card. Register at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Make 

Peace with Food: Basics of Mindful 

Eating on Wednesday, April 24 from 6:30- 

7:30 p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient Center, 

121 St. Luke’s Center Drive in Chesterfield, 

in Classroom 3 of Building A. Join us for 

a free in-person class to learn the basics 

about how to eat mindfully and move closer 

to feeling at peace in your relationship with 

food. Sign up to attend at stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Mom & 

Baby Expo on Thursday, April 25 from 5-8 

p.m. at the hospital’s Institute for Health 

Education, 232 S. Woods Mill Road in 

Chesterfield, in the North Medical Building. 

Join us for this event designed to help 

parents in pregnancy planning through the 

transition to parenthood. The free event 

also features vendor booths, tours of St. 

Luke’s Birth Care Suites, light refreshments 

and attendance prizes. Register at 

stlukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

BJC St. Louis Children’s Hospital offers 

a Helmet Check event on Saturday, May 4 

from 9:30 a.m.-noon at Parkway Early Childhood 

Center, 14605 Clayton Road in Ballwin. 

Children may bring their own helmets to 

this check, where a trained professional will 

ensure that it is an approved helmet and fit 

it correctly. Appointments can be scheduled 

at 10-minute intervals. Register for this free 

event at classes-events.bjc.org. 

• • • 

St. Luke’s Hospital presents Good Sleep 

is a Possible Dream: Steps to Sounder 

Sleep on Thursday, May 9 from 6:30-8 

p.m. at the Desloge Outpatient Center, 121 

St. Luke’s Center Drive, in Classroom 3 of 

Building A. Good sleep is essential for optimal 

health. Attend this free class to learn 

more about sleep, and strategies you can 

use to sleep better more often. Register at 

slukes-stl.com. 

• • • 

Barnes-Jewish West County Hospital 

offers a Bariatric Surgery Information 

Session on Monday, May 20 from 5:30- 

6:30 p.m., live via Zoom. Join a Washington 

University bariatric physician to learn 

more about surgical treatment options 

available at BJC. To register, visit classesevents.bjc.org; 

to learn more about BJC’s 

bariatric surgery criteria for patients, call 

(314) 454-7224 and press Option 1. 

MARY BAY, 

REALTOR ® 

636-394-9300 

Mary Bay with Coldwell Banker Realty - Gundaker Town 

& Country, , is the driving force of The Mary Bay Team which 

consists of her husband and daughter, all licensed Realtors®. 

Mary has been in real estate for 20 years and consistently ranks 

in the top 3% of CBG Realtors and is a 14-year recipient of 

The Five Star Realtor Award! Their team focus is to provide 

outstanding service above and beyond what clients expect! With 

an outstanding support team of vendors who provide services to 

help sellers prepare their homes for the market, a professional 

stager and gorgeous photography, the Mary Bay Team homes sell 

fast and at the highest price possible. Buyers benefit from the years 

of outstanding representation, market knowledge, persistence, 

honesty, and their desire to help buyers achieve their dreams! 

PETER LU, REALTOR ® 

(c) 314.973.4278 • themarybayteam.com 

When it comes to navigating the ever-changing world of 

real estate, it’s vital to have an expert at your side who has the 

experience to provide guidance each step of the way. 

Peter Lu with eXp Realty has been helping folks buy and sell 

homes since 2006. He has experienced the market’s highs and lows and has had 

great success helping his clients navigate through the good, the bad and the ugly. He 

is committed to helping clients find the home of their dreams without the stress and 

worry the process can entail. 

Whether you are looking to buy or sell a home, Peter’s passion for real estate and 

in-depth knowledge of the market makes him an invaluable partner. The Peter Lu 

Team prides themselves on their service, high standards and exceptional rates. Peter 

and his team have worked with clients from across St. Louis and West County, 

and in a myriad of municipalities. Whether you’re in the market for a new home, 

condominium or acres of beautiful land for a personal project or endeavor, Peter and 

his team have inside knowledge and experience with sought-after locations. 

For those who don’t know where to start, skip the guesswork and let Peter and his 

team help match you with one of the area’s many available properties. They serve St. 

Charles County, St. Louis County, St. Louis City and Jefferson County. 

Trust a real estate professional who will have your best interests in mind throughout 

every step of the process. Call Peter today at (314) 662-6578, and experience the 

difference firsthand. 

(c) 314.662.6578 • www.peterluteam.com 

866.224.1761 • 3636 S Geyer Rd Ste 100 • St. Louis

24 I SERVING OUR SENIORS I 





Serving 

Our 

SeniOrS 

A special advertising section 

Guide4SeniorLivinG.com 

Tonia McDonald, founder 

info@Guide4SeniorLiving.com • 844.929.4447 • www.Guide4SeniorLiving.com 

When Tonia McDonald founded Guide4SeniorLiving.com she did so with a heart for seniors and insider knowledge 

of how confusing it can be to find needed services. Over a 13-year period, she created an easy-to-use online senior 

resource guide. “I made my guide transparent so people can actually get a company’s contact information right away – 

local phone numbers and addresses, not 800 numbers that go to third-party companies,” Tonia explained. 

The guide also carefully validates the businesses’ reputations and integrity. Families and seniors can search over 40,000 

business listings in the categories of housing, product suppliers, service providers, social places, tools for caregivers and 

even services for veterans. There’s no cost to use the directory and free accounts make it easy to save “favorites” for 

future use. 

A Senior Resource Expo & Health Fair, hosted by Guide4SeniorLiving.com, will be held from 9 a.m. to noon on May 14 

at VFW Post 2866, 66 VFW Lane in St. Charles. This free event will provide in-person opportunities to increase health 

awareness and learn about programs, services and resources for seniors. 

DaviD L. Brown & associates 

A trusted resource for Medicare and long-term care 

Weldon Spring, MO • 636.219.2508 • www.davidlbrownandassociates.com 

David Brown, founder of David L. Brown & Associates and author of “Protecting your Future with Tax-Free Long- 

Term Care” began his career by serving as representative for multiple long-term care insurance companies in 2000. In 

2004, he became certified and licensed with multiple Medicare companies offering various plans. Since then, David 

has helped over 800 area families choose retirement plans, long-term care and Medicare plans. Today, David L. Brown 

and Associates operates as an independent insurance firm. As an independent broker, David’s client-based approach 

includes meeting with each client to discuss their individual wants or needs for choosing the perfect plan. 

“We strive to understand what your objectives and goals are and consult you along the way,” David said. David and 

his team can also provide insight on asset protection planning, Veteran Aid & Attendance Pension Benefits Plan, life 

insurance, IRA rollovers and can even provide information about the financial side of dementia. Several years ago, 

David attended workshop training with the Dementia Society of America.

New PersPective seNior LiviNg 

A new caring community is welcoming seniors this summer 

New Perspective • 400 Siedentop Rd • Weldon Spring • 636.229.1311 

www.npseniorliving.com/communities/weldon-spring 

There is a fresh approach in senior living coming to 

St. Charles County. 

New Perspective Senior Living will open a brand-new 

senior community in Weldon Spring this summer and 

opportunities to reserve a beautiful apartment space for 

you or a loved one are now available. 

“We are looking forward to the opening of our first 

location in the St. Louis area,” said New Perspective Co-CEO 

Ryan Novaczyk. “When my family started the company, we 

set out to create a place where seniors can thrive in their 

golden years. Since the start, we’ve become known for 

exceptional, award-winning senior care.” 

The community will offer senior living options that 

include independent living, assisted living and memory 

care. Private and companion apartments are available. 

Additionally, New Perspective will feature a host of 

exciting amenities such as multiple dining venues including 

a cafe and a pub, a chef inspired menu in the dining room, a 

state-of-the-art fitness center for daily exercise, a calendar 

of engaging activities, musical entertainment and speakers, 

salon services, transportation for community outings and 

worship services. 

Most importantly, New Perspective will feature a warm 

and welcoming, caring staff. 

“We know residents and their families will appreciate the 

appearance and functionality of the building, but it’s our 

team of people who will make a lasting impact,” said New 

Perspective Co-CEO Chris Hyatt. 

“I am proud of the fact that, as a company, we consistently 

receive 9.5 out of 10 stars on resident satisfaction reviews 

for the friendliness and helpfulness of our team,” Hyatt said. 

New Perspective also supports whole-person well-being 

at every care level, from independent living to assisted 

living to memory care. 

That means seniors are encouraged to stay physically fit and active 

with access to exercise classes and activities that keep them moving. 

The community also offers physical therapy and occupational 

therapy on-site through their preferred partner FOX Rehabilitation. 

In addition, good nutrition is easy with delicious made-fromscratch 

meals. The chef-designed meals are prepared daily with fresh 

ingredients for a farm-to-table experience. 

Team members at New Perspective also know how important 

social interaction is for keeping seniors engaged and fulfilled in life. 

Research shows that being part of a vibrant community enriches 

all our lives and can help slow the aging process. New Perspective’s 

life engagement team makes it easy to get involved. Seniors choose 

what interests them. They can join a club, participate in an art class, 

gather with friends for a game of bridge, listen to a guest speaker 

and enjoy movie nights, music, happy hours and more. 

What began as a simple mission by founders Todd and Sherry 

Novaczyk – to find the very best senior living experience for Sherry’s 

mother, Betty, has grown into something a lot bigger – a company 

committed to making a difference in the lives of their residents. 

The leasing office for New Perspective’s newest senior living 

community is now open. Located at 6020 Weldon Spring Parkway, 

the office is just a half-mile from the new community. Stop 

in; say hello and find out more about New Perspective Senior 

Living. Hours are Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. 

Additionally, appointments are available outside regular hours and 

on weekends. To schedule an appointment, call 636-229-1311. For 

more information visit NPSeniorLiving.com 

® 

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26 I 





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I 27 

CANNABIS, from page 10 

who are high are different than those of 

people who are drunk.” 

Keys pointed to a recent event that took a 

busload of people to a smoking lounge and 

then on to The Armory for an evening of 

socialization. 

“At thirtysomething, you probably want the 

bus that’s kind of chill as opposed to a party 

bus,” she said. 

Keys suggested that the reason why cannabis 

use in Missouri is so diverse is that 

its legalization resulted from the passage of 

voter-led initiatives. 

“The trend is that 50% of Americans have 

tried cannabis or are actively using it,” Keys 

said. “There are a lot of veterans who are 

using cannabis for treating their post-traumatic 

stress disorder and, especially here in 

Missouri, there are a lot of programs that 

use cannabis to help people transition off of 

opioids without negative effects. Another big 

push right now is for the use of cannabis in 

hospice care. A lot of people experience pain 

toward the end of life and being in a highly 

medicated state is not conducive with quality 

of life. 

Keys also shared the story of a woman 

who used cannabis to help relieve the agitation 

her mother was experiencing as a result 

of Alzheimer’s. 

“The woman said her mother was combative 

and paranoid, so she wouldn’t take 

traditional medication, but she would eat a 

cookie (laced with cannabis), and that would 

help her calm down,” Keys said. “So we’re 

looking at how cannabis is being used in so 

many new fashions and proven, once they 

do the research, methods that are resulting in 

increased use.” 

That research is being conducted by universities, 

hospital teams, sports leagues and 

other groups that have private funding, Keys 

said. However, there’s a push to get federal 

funding for larger studies. A first step in 

achieving this would be rescheduling cannabis, 

removing it from the category of hard 

drugs like cocaine and placing it into a more 

medicinally-proven category. 

For her part, Hitchcock said she wishes 

people would begin to think about cannabis 

as “God’s grass and not the Devil’s lettuce.” 

But that’s not an easy leap for everyone 

to make – and according to the Substance 

Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration 

(SAMHSA) there’s good reason 

for caution. 

Cannabis risks 

According to SAMHSA, cannabis use 

can have negative and long-term effects that 

include brain health, safe driving, pregnancy 

and child development, career growth and 

relationships. 

SAMHSA notes that cannabis is a psychoactive 

drug that contains close to 500 

chemicals, including tetrahydrocannabinol 

(THC), a mind-altering compound. Consistent 

with industry reports, the agency agrees 

that marijuana use is on the rise among all 

adult age groups, including pregnant women, 

which opens the door to concern about the 

developing child. People ages 18-25 have the 

highest rate of use, according to SAMHSA, 

and approximately 1 in 10 people who use 

will become addicted. For individuals who 

start using before age 18, the rate of addiction 

rises to 1 in 6. 

Concerns that the agency delineates 

include: 

• Permanent IQ loss of as much as 8 points 

when people start using cannabis at a young 

age. 

• Slower reaction times, movement and 

coordination when under the influence of 

cannabis, which can result in lane weaving 

and difficulty reacting to signals and sounds 

on the road while driving. 

• Fetal growth restriction, premature birth, 

stillbirth and problems with brain development, 

resulting in hyperactivity and poor 

cognitive function for children whose mothers 

use cannabis during pregnancy. THC and 

other chemicals from marijuana can also be 

passed from a mother to her baby through 

breast milk, further impacting a child’s 

healthy development. 

• Relationship problems, worse educational 

outcomes, lower career achievement and 

reduced life satisfaction among users. 

For each of its concerns, SAMHSA largely 

points to its own research and that of the 

National Institute on Drug Abuse (NIDA). 

While the debate over risk and reward 

rages on, cannabis testing, particularly at 

work and on the road, might be the one challenge 

on which everyone can agree. 

Personal responsibility 

Unlike alcohol use, there is no definitive 

test that can determine the level of someone’s 

intoxication or impairment or their 

current use. Cannabis can remain present in 

a person’s body anywhere from several days 

to several months after the last use. 

“Marijuana is a unique drug from a testing 

perspective,” John Marino Jr., a labor 

and employment attorney with McMahon- 

Berger, said. 

In Missouri, the maximum legal blood 

alcohol content (BAC) is set at 0.08%. 

Anyone with a BAC over that limit is considered 

to be impaired. In general, breathalizers 

can detect alcohol use up to 24 hours 

after consumption. But there’s no clear-cut 

way to say when someone may have last 

used cannabis; also with the legalization of 

recreational cannabis in Missouri, certain 

anti-discrimination measures went into effect 

for individuals who are medically authorized 

to use cannabis, Marino said. As a result, 

employers commonly aren’t screening for 

cannabis use as a condition for employment. 

However, testing might come into play in the 

event of a workplace accident or other reasonable 

suspicion scenario indicating the use 

and impact of cannabis, alcohol, prescription 

medications or illicit drugs. 

Regardless of the substance involved, 

human resource experts agree that the most 

important aspect of testing is for a company 

to have a solid policy in place and its management 

team trained to consistently enforce it. 

“This is really why we want to streamline 

the conversation around cannabis because 

it really is the same expectation as with 

alcohol or even prescription drugs,” Keys 

said. “When you think about it, with alcohol 

people can enjoy a drink as long as they’re 

not drinking at work. That’s really about personal 

responsibility. You wouldn’t want to 

drink and then go operate heavy machinery. 

The same goes for certain prescription medications 

and cannabis. But that’s not really a 

cannabis thing, it’s a user thing. It’s about 

having discretion at work.” 

A real conversation 

It’s been just over a year since the first 

legal cannabis was sold for recreational 

purposes in Missouri. To date, 38 states 

have some form of legalization. Cannabis 

and CBD are fully illegal in just four states: 

Idaho, Nebraska, Kansas and South Carolina. 

“Any time you start having a conversation 

about something I feel like there are so many 

layers that come out and so many perspectives,” 

Keys said. “And a lot of the attitudes 

around cannabis have changed. 

“I really think that the bigger, overarching 

idea at the city level, state level and all the 

way to the federal level is driven by the fact 

that cannabis is really generating revenue 

and jobs.” 

Keys said the revenue states are generating 

is attracting the federal government’s attention, 

so change is likely. 

In June 1971, President Richard Nixon 

declared drug abuse as “public enemy 

number one” and launched a public policy 

campaign against illegal drugs including 

cannabis. Fifty years later, in 2021, the 

Drug Policy Alliance estimated the nation’s 

cumulative anti-drug education and prevention 

spending had reached $1 trillion, even 

as states were seeking to legalize cannabis in 

one form or another. 

According to a 2017 NIDA study, cannabis 

use has outpaced cigarette use among 

eighth-graders and, according to the Centers 

for Disease Control and Prevention, 40% of 

high school students have reported trying 

cannabis. Clearly, the war on drugs has not 

worked. However, it did shed light on the 

need for education. 

For many people, especially youth, cannabis 

has some negative consequences, can 

be addictive and its use can result in harm 

if used irresponsibly. As with alcohol, some 

people should never use cannabis. So there 

are two sides to this very controversial coin 

and having adult conversations around the 

topic is critical in an age of local legalization. 

“It’s been almost five years since I first 

began having conversations with companies 

about cannabis and the workplace,” Marino 

said. “But it’s still a topic that is in demand.” 

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28 I EVENTS I 





LOCAL 

EVENTS 

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Got events? 

Want 

publicity? 

Send all the pertinent details to 

events@newsmagazinenetwork.com. 

Event notices for print publication 

are due at least six weeks out from 

the date of the event. Events with 

advance registration should be 

submitted six weeks out from that 

deadline. 

All events will be listed online and 

in print when sent in with enough 

advance notice. 

ARTS & ENTERTAINMENT 

Ann Croghan - Light & Color II Art 

Exhibition is on display through Saturday, 

May 18 in the East Gallery at the 

Foundry Art Centre, 20 N. Main Center in 

St. Charles. For details, visit foundryartcentre.org. 

• • • 

O’Fallon TheatreWorks presents “The 

Trail to Oregon” at 7:30 p.m. on Friday, 

April 19 and Saturday, April 20 and 2 p.m. 

on Sunday, April 21 at City Hall, 100 N. 

Main St. The show includes adult language 

and content. Admission is $14 for 

residents; $16 for non-residents at ofallon. 

mo.us/otw. 

• • • 

History in Harmony is from 1-4 p.m. 

on Sundays, April 21 & April 28; May 19 

& 26 and June 23 & 30 on South Main 

Street in St. Charles. For details, visit discoverstcharles.com. 

• • • 

An organ concert is at 3 p.m. on 

Monday, April 28 at St. Joseph’s Chapel, 

204 N. Main Street in O’Fallon, featuring 

David Sinden. The concert is free and open 

to the public. 

BENEFITS 

Bunco Bash is at 2 p.m. (doors open 

at 1 p.m.) on Sunday, April 28 at the 

Pezold Banquet Center, 5701 Hwy. N in 

St. Charles. Admission includes appetizers, 

snacks, desserts, soda, tea and coffee, plus 

one complimentary adult drink ticket. $25 

per person. For details, email ladiesauxbunco@gmail.com. 

• • • 

A blood drive is from 3:30-7:30 p.m. on 

Monday, April 29 at Sunrise Methodist, 

7116 Twin Chimneys Blvd. in O’Fallon To 

schedule an appointment, visit sunrisefamily.org/events. 

• • • 

The Dardenne Prairie Knights of 

Columbus Horseraces are at 6 p.m. 

on Saturday, May 4 at 2199 Post Road. 

Tickets are $20 and include beer, setups 

and snacks. Wear a derby hat for a 

chance to win a prize. For tickets, call 

(636) 497-5480. 

• • • 

Rock n’ Roll Bingo is from 6-10 p.m. 

on Saturday, May 4 at the Boys and Girls 

Club of St. Charles, 1211 Lindenwood 

Ave. Round prizes, raffle items and a silent 

The St. Louis Scottish Games are a 

not-to-be-missed afternoon of fun, even 

if you don’t have a single drop of Scottish 

blood. Held on Saturday, May 11 

in Schroeder Park in Manchester, the 

games feature: 

• Live music, including folk music 

by local favorites, a performance by 

the Shilleligans Celtic Duo and two 

chances to see Canada’s Celtic Rock 

Warriors, the Mudmen. 

• Pipe Band Competition. 

• Highland Dance Competition. 

• Swordfighting demonstrations. 

• Kid’s activities from 10 a.m.-2 p.m. 

• Sheepherding demonstrations. 

• Scottish heavy athletics 

• First Responders Tug-of-War. 

Activities begin at 9 a.m. with the final 

Mudmen concert continuing to 9 p.m. 

auction are featured. Admission includes 

water, soda and snacks. $25 per person. 

Benefits Seven More Cats Rescue and 

Shelter Friends, Inc. For tickets, call (314) 

750-7979. 

• • • 

St. Louis LDA Scholarship Golf Tournament 

is from 11:15 a.m.-12:30 p.m. 

on Thursday, May 9 at Missouri Bluffs 

Golf Club, 18 Research Park Circle in St. 

Charles. Cost is $125 per player. Register 

at ldastl.org/golf-classic or call (314) 966- 

3088. 

CONCERTS & FESTIVALS 

The Rail District Festival is from 

2-8 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 in Civic 

Park, 308 Civic Park Drive in O’Fallon. 

Includes family activities, live music, 

inflatables, food trucks, food vendors, a 

beer garden, train rides, a baby crawl race 

and more. Free event. For details, visit 

ofallon.mo.us. 

• • • 

Fiesta in the Park is at 6 p.m. (doors 

open at 5:30 p.m.) on Friday, May 3 in 

O’Day Park in O’Fallon. Mexican cuisine 

Tickets are $25 for adults over age 18 

and $10 for youth ages 13-17. Children 

age 12 and younger are free. For details 

on parking, shuttles, event times and 

tickets, visit stlouis-scottishgames.com. 

First Responder Tug-of-War 

and a mariachi band are featured. Tickets 

start at $40 and are available at celebrationoflights.ticketspice.com/fiesta. 

• • • 

Food Truck Event is from 5-8 p.m. on 

Tuesday, May 14 at Blanchette Park, 1900 

W. Randolph St. in St. Charles. Some 

trucks may be cash only. Bring seating to 

enjoy live entertainment. Alcoholic beverages, 

glass and pets are prohibited. For 

details, visit discoverstcharles.com, search 

“food truck.” 

• • • 

Dardenne Prairie Summer Concerts 

are from 6:30-9:30 p.m. on Thursdays 

starting in May at City Hall Park, 2032 

Hanley Road. Bring seating. Concessions 

will be available for purchase. May 17 - 

Butch Wax and the Hollywoods, June 21 

- Joe Dirt and the Dirty Boys Band, July 19 - 

Trixie Delight, Aug. 16 - Dr. Zhivegas. For 

details, visit dardenneprairie.org. 

• • • 

St. Peters’ Sunset Concert featuring 

Zydeco Crawdaddys is from 6:30-8:30 

p.m. on Friday, May 17 at 370 Lakeside 

Park. For a full concert schedule, visit stpetersmo.net/sunset.





I EVENTS I 29 

• • • 

Midwest Maifest is from 2-6 p.m. on 

Sunday, May 19 at the New Town Amphitheater 

in St. Charles. German entertainment, 

food, craft vendors and product 

samples are featured. Admission is free; 

a wristband for ages 21-plus is needed 

for tastings and souvenir cup. Food truck 

purchases are an additional cost. Details at 

midwestmaifest.org. 

• • • 

O’Fallon Jammin’ Concert Series is 

from 6:30-9 p.m. on Tuesdays beginning 

May 28 at the Civic Park Bandstand, 403 

Civic Park Drive in O’Fallon. Admission 

is free. Food trucks and concessions are 

available. Bring seating. For concert calendar, 

visit ofallon.mo.us/jammin. 

FAMILY & KIDS 

After School Art Club is from 5-6 p.m. 

on Thursdays at the Foundry Art Centre, 

520 N. Main Center in St. Charles. Cost 

is $10 per week for ages 7-11. Sessions 

include all materials and tools. Register at 

foundryartcentre.org/kids-workshops. 

• • • 

Family Fridays are from 2-4 p.m. on 

the second Friday of every month at the 

Heritage Park Museum, 1630 Heritage 

Landing in St. Peters. Games, crafts, storytime 

and hands-on displays are featured. 

Admission is free. 

• • • 

Art Start is at 10 a.m. every Tuesday 

at The Foundry Art Centre, 520 N. Main 

Center in Saint Charles. Children create 

small art projects that pair with a story. 

Free event for ages 2-5 with a caregiver. 

Details at foundryartcentre.org. 

• • • 

The Ribbon of Hope Celebration is 

from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, April 27 

at Barnes Jewish St. Peters Hospital. This 

is a free family-friendly event celebrating 

life and bringing hope to the community 

affected by cancer. For details, visit bjcstcharlescounty.org. 

• • • 

Kids Clay Workshop - Planters with 

Personality is from 11 a.m.-noon on Saturday, 

May 4 at The Foundry Art Centre, 520 

N. Main in St. Charles. Cost is $40, supplies 

included. For ages 5-12. For details, 

visit foundryartcentre.org/kids-classes. 

• • • 

Jr. Picasso’s Lines and Shapes Workshop 

is from 6-8 p.m. on Monday, May 

20 at the Renaud Center, 2650 Tri Sports 

Circle in O’Fallon. Participants will utilize 

the element of line and color to develop 

fantastical cityscapes. For ages 6-13. Cost 

is $39 for residents; $44 for non-residents. 

Register at ofallon.mo.us/parks&rec. 

• • • 

Ollie’s Sensory Trail opens at 3 p.m. on 

Thursday, May 23 at City Centre Park, 1 

St. Peters Centre Blvd. Be the first to experience 

the new, inclusive, and accessible 

park and the one-of-a-kind nature route 

that will encourage and nurture growth 

for all minds and bodies. For details, visit 

stpetersmo.net/641/Sensory-Trail-at-City- 

Centre-Park. 

SPECIAL INTEREST 

Community Garden Plots (10 by 12 

feet) are available for free at Holy Cross 

Lutheran Church, 8945 Veterans Memorial 

Parkway, across from Zumwalt Park in 

O’Fallon. For details, call (636) 578-1766 

or email daschlesselman@gmail.com. 

• • • 

Dot Mandalas 101 is from 1-3:30 p.m. 

on Sunday, April 21 at the Crossroads Arts 

Center, 310 W. Pearce Blvd. in Wentzville. 

Cost of $55 includes all supplies. Register 

at crossroadsartscouncil.org. 

• • • 

Arbor Day Tree Giveaway is from 9-11 

a.m. on Saturday, April 27 at the St. Peters 

Rec-Plex, 5200 Mexico Road and the St. 

Peters Golf Club, 200 Salt Lick Road. Free 

tree seedlings are available while supplies 

last. For details, visit stpetersmo.net. 

• • • 

Earth Day in O’Fallon is from 9 a.m.- 

noon on Saturday, April 27 at area city 

parks. Plant flowers, spread mulch and 

clean up the creek. Registration is limited 

by project. For details, visit ofallon.mo.us. 

• • • 

The Rock Stars Triathlon is at 7 a.m. 

(swim warm up at 6:15 a.m.) on Sunday, 

May 5 at the St. Peters Rec-Plex, 5200 

Mexico Road. Swim 400 meters, bike 13.5 

miles and run 3.1 miles. New this year is 

a longer course with a 500-meter swim, a 

19.7-mile bike ride and a 5-mile run. Fees 

start at $75. Register at stpetersmo.net, 

search “triathlon.” 

• • • 

Free Demonstration Garden Tours 

are Saturday, May 18 through Wednesday, 

June 5 at the University of Missouri 

Extension Office, 260 Brown Road in St. 

Peters. Tours will be in small groups and 

last about an hour. Wear walking shoes and 

expect uneven terrain. Register at stcharlescountymastergardeners.com. 

• • • 

The 2024 Plant America Garden Expo, 

a free, family-friendly event, is from 10 

a.m.-3 p.m. on Saturday, May 18 at the 

Weldon Springs Interpretive Center, 7295 

Hwy. 94 in St. Charles. 

• • • 

Whiskers & Wags Pet Adoption Drive 

is at 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Sunday, May 19 

at Civic Park, 308 Civic Park Drive in 

O’Fallon. Adopt a new best friend from 

local agencies, pet product vendor booths, 

activities, food and more. Free event. For 

details, visit ofallon.mo.us/whiskers. 

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30 I 





Child Advocacy Center: Over 20 years of support for abuse victims 

By LAURA BROWN 

Empowering young survivors of abuse, 

the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) of 

Northeast Missouri works to help heal 

children who have experienced hardship. 

Offering a range of services, the standalone 

non-profit center plays a vital role 

in supporting survivors and their families. 

The services provided by the CAC 

are comprehensive. They offer forensic 

interviews conducted by professionals, 

advocacy for families navigating the judicial 

system, therapy for children and nonoffending 

family members, and prevention 

education programs for schools and adults. 

These preventional programs cover topics 

such as body safety, healthy relationships, 

consent and recognizing signs of exploitation 

or trafficking. All of the CAC’s services 

are provided at no cost to the families 

or community. 

Last year alone, the CAC conducted 

1,142 interviews with children who were 

victims of various forms of abuse, including 

physical, sexual and those who witnessed 

violent crimes. The CAC of Northern Missouri 

provides services for those living in 

In recognition of Child Abuse Prevention Month, the Child Advocacy Center held a ceremony, planting pinwheels in front of the center’s 

Wentzville office to represent the right of every child to a happy and healthy childhood. St. Charles County Prosecuting Attorney Joe 

McCulloch spoke about the issue of child abuse. Special recognition was also given to eight St. Dominic High School seniors who have 

initiated the Run for Hope 5K to raise funds and awareness for The Child Advocacy Center. The 5K will be held on April 21 at Rotary Park 

in Wentzville. Photo courtesy of the Child Advocacy Center 

14 counties from St. Charles, Lincoln and 

Warren and north all the way to the Iowa 

state border. Their office is located at 989 

Heritage Parkway in Wentzville. 

Young victims and their families are 

often referred to the organization through 

the Department of Child and Family Services, 

or a local law enforcement agency 

after a crime has been reported. Forensic 

interviews are performed with children 

between the ages of 3-18, and also with 

adults who are developmentally delayed. 

The CAC also advocates for children’s 

rights throughout legal proceedings and 

plays a pivotal role in helping families 

and victims get justice and healing. One of 

the key strengths of the CAC is its multidisciplinary 

approach, bringing together 

professionals from law enforcement, child 

protection services, therapy and advocacy. 

This collaboration ensures that children 

receive support unique to their needs, 

minimizing trauma and maximizing their 

chances of recovery. 

Michelle Stille is a forensic interviewer 

See CAC, next page 

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I 31 

CAC, from previous 

for the CAC and said this approach ensures 

children only are required to tell their story 

once, which helps in their healing. 

“The goal is for the interview with us 

to be the only time that they have to talk 

in detail about what happened to them,” 

Stille said. “In the past, before agencies 

like ours existed, (the victim) would have 

to tell their story time and time and time 

again, inadvertently retraumatizing them.” 

Stille said their interviews are recorded 

and shared with law enforcement and used 

in trial if the case goes that far, which can 

take years. 

Vicky, a beneficiary of the CAC, said the 

services she received through the center 

when one of her children was abused 

several years ago were key to getting the 

family through the difficult time. 

“I was thrown into an experience I 

thought I would never have to deal with 

when my (child) was abused,” Vicky said. 

“I credit the free therapy that my children 

received after the abuse leading up to the 

trial, and all of the resources for them being 

able to heal. Everything was provided to us 

at no cost. I was a single mom at the time. I 

don’t think I would’ve been able to afford 

all of the therapy they needed.” 

Vicky said the CAC helped her children 

prepare for the trial and even provided 

therapy afterwards. 

“I trusted the therapy,” Vicky said. “Even 

today if something pops up, they’ll go and 

seek out therapy. To me I think that’s huge 

that they recognize the importance of the 

therapy and how to process everything and 

work through it.” 

Vicky said a new resource available is a 

parents’ support group. 

“When I was going through it, it’s not 

something you can talk to even your 

friends about, really,” Vicky said. “They 

just don’t know how to take it and it’s hard 

to share what you’re going through. It’s a 

parent support group and they understand 

the trauma you’re going through. That this 

has happened to your child. It’s been really 

well received from the participants. I get 

value from it by helping to be a part of it.” 

Although the CAC has existed for more 

than twenty years, Stille noted that it is still 

relatively unknown in the community. 

“Unfortunately, we always say that we 

wish that we didn’t need to be here, but we 

do,” Stille said. “We’re glad that we’re able 

to be here. The statistics on child abuse are 

scary. The prevalence of child sexual abuse, 

especially, happens a lot more than people 

know or realize. So, hopefully no one ever 

needs us. But if they do, it’s nice for them 

to be able to know that we’re here.” 

Vicky credits the CAC for helping her 

family get through such a difficult time, 

one no parent plans for. 

“Kids who are abused, or have trauma, 

they aren’t doomed to have issues or problems 

for the rest of their lives,” Vicky said. 

“With the right therapy and support, they 

can heal through their trauma. Your child 

can heal from it. You as a parent can heal 

from it too. The key is to get the help that 

you need. That’s where the CAC really 

stepped up and made a difference for my 

family.” 

On April 27, the CAC is hosting its biggest 

fundraiser of the year. The One with 

Courage Gala is now in its 11th year and 

will be held at the Ameristar Casino Resort 

& Spa located at 1 Ameristar Blvd. in St. 

Charles. To find out more, visit cacnemo. 

org. 

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Mid Rivers Newsmagazine 4-17-24

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